CUCURBITACE.E. IV. CUCUMIS. 



9 



frames. Give occasionally a very light watering, when the 

 earth appears dry. As the plants advance into the first rough 

 leaves, the first runner-bud in the centre should be stopped, 

 by cutting or pinching the top off, close to the first or second 

 joint, an operation which strengthens the plants, and promotes 

 a lateral issue of fruitful runners. Be careful to support a 

 regular tenor of heat in the bed, by laying first an outward 

 casing of straw-litter round the sides, to defend it from the 

 weather ; afterwards, if the heat declines, remove the above 

 casing, and apply a moderate lining of hot dung to one or 

 more of the sides. In matting at night, be careful not to drive 

 the rank steam of the linings into the beds, by letting the ends 

 of the mats hang down." 



Fruiting-bed. Form it as directed for the cucumber-bed, but 

 6 inches deeper. M'Phail says, " 4 feet high, and after it has 

 stood about a week, tread it down, and make it level, and set 

 the frames upon it." 



Moulding the bed. Abercrombie directs to " mould it by 

 degrees to 8, 10, or 12 inches' depth, first laying the compost 

 in little hills of that thickness, one under each light, with the 

 intervals earthed only 2 or 3 inches for the present, till the 

 general heat is moderated." M'Phail lays in, under each light, 

 a small hill of earth about 1 foot high. 



Planting. When the earth of the hills is warmed by the heat 

 of the bed, and the plants have leaves 2 or 3 inches broad, 

 or have begun to push lateral runners, turn them out of the pots, 

 with the ball of earth entire ; set a ball containing one plant in 

 the middle of each hill, inserted clean over the ball ; or set at 

 most 2 plants under the centre of a large light. After planting, 

 give a gentle watering over the hills and round the roots, 

 avoiding to wet the shanks of the plants ; shut down the glasses 

 close, till the heat and steam arise, then give air moderately. 

 Extend a slight shade over the glasses in the middle part of 

 warm summer days, if the plants shrink or flag their leaves 

 before fully rooted in the hills, which they will be in 2, 3, or 4 

 days after planting." 



Temperature. " The melon requires a minimum heat of about 

 65 from the time of germination till the fructification, and the 

 heat of about 75 to fruit in." Abercrombie. M'Phail, as 

 appears from the table in his " Gardener's Remembrancer," 

 kept his melon and cucumber frames at the same temperature ; 

 stating, that if any person kept melon or cucumber plants in 

 the same degrees of heat, they will not fail of success. Nicol's 

 medium heat for melons is 70. The proper temperature must 

 be kept up by repeated linings, at least till the middle of July. 

 After that, sun-heat may suffice to ripen the crop. Till this 

 season the greatest care is necessary not to burn or overheat 

 the plants. M'Phail says, " examine daily with your hand the 

 heat of the bed, pushing your fingers into the dung imme- 

 diately under the hills of earth in which the plants grow ; and if 

 you find the heat likely to be too powerful, pour cold water all 

 round the bottom of the hills of earth, to lower the heat of 

 the bed. Remember this must be daily attended to till the 

 heat of the bed be so declined in the middle, that the roots of 

 the plants be in no danger of being hurt by the heat of the 

 dung under them. In case this necessary precaution has been ne- 

 glected, till the heat immediately under the stems of the plants has 

 become too hot, pour plenty of water 80 warm round about the 

 sides of the hills in which the plants grow, and among the stems of 

 the plants, which will bring the earth and dung immediately under 

 the plants to the same degree of heat as the water which is 

 poured into it. When the heat in the middle of the bed be- 

 comes so cool that there is no fear of its being too great for 

 the roots of the plants, watering that part of the bed to keep 

 the burning heat down of course must cease, and as the roots 

 of the plants extend, earth may be added to the hills. As 



VOL. III. 



soon as the heat of the bed declines, linings must be applied 

 to it, which will set it into a fresh fermentation, and then the 

 surface upon the bed must be examined occasionally, by push- 

 ing the hand into it in different parts, and when a burning heat 

 is felt, pour in some water as before directed. In this way you 

 should persevere, still keeping a strong heat in the linings. 

 Remember that the surface of the bed all round about the hills 

 should be left uncovered with earth, and the dung should be 

 loosened occasionally, to let the heat rise freely to nourish the 

 plants." In July, " melons will do without heat in the linings, 

 but I found by experience that they do best by keeping a heat 

 in the linings all the summer. If a heat be kept on constantly 

 in the linings, and the plants watered sufficiently, they will 

 continue to produce fruit till the middle of October." 



Air. As long as weak steam is perceived to rise from the 

 bed, leave an aperture, even at night, for it to escape ; guard- 

 ing against the influx of cold air by a curtain of matting. 

 Admit fresh air to the plants by tilting the glasses more or less 

 at the most favourable hours in a dry day. After the bed has 

 come to a sweet heat, shut down close at night. As the fruit 

 enlarges, it becomes more necessary to seize every proper 

 opportunity of admitting air ; raising the lights from 1 to 4 

 inches, according to the season, the heat of the bed, and tem- 

 perature of the external air, shutting close if that should turn 

 cold, and always timely towards evening. As confirmed summer 

 approaches, admit air still more freely. Nicol says, " air should 

 be freely admitted, though not in such quantity as for the cu- 

 cumbers, which do not require so high a temperature as melons 

 do. In sunshine, however, the mercury in the thermometer 

 should be kept down, by the admission of air to about 80 or 

 75." M'Phail says, " look into your melon-pits in the morn- 

 ing, and if there is a dew on them, standing like beads round 

 the edges of the young leaves, it is a good sign ; but if there is 

 no dew on them, in the form I have described, they are not 

 in a very prosperous condition. The air in the frames is not 

 sweet ; they either want water or sprinkling of water, or else 

 the heat of the air in the frames is too great in the night. In 

 hot weather melons are better to have air left at them all night, 

 and in very warm weather to take the glasses entirely off in the 

 evening, and put them on again in the morning : by this means 

 the plants will get refreshment from the dew in the night." 



Water. After the plants are placed on the hills, give oppor- 

 tunely gentle waterings, increasing them as the season and the 

 growth of the plants advance. " Water circumspectly and 

 scantily while the fruit is setting or young in growth, as 

 too much moisture would make it decay. Take a warm morn- 

 ing for watering before the middle of May ; in summer the 

 afternoon or evening. Use soft water warmed to the air of the 

 frame, and let as little as possible fall on the setting or new set 

 young fruit ; nor much near the main head of the plants, for 

 fear of rotting that part. Shut down the lights after watering 

 for a short time ; and if in the morning part, and a strong sun, 

 spread a mat over, to prevent the sun from injuring the plants 

 by acting on the water lodged on the spray of the leaves. As a 

 strong steam will now arise, remove the mats in an hour or two, 

 and raise the glasses at the top, to give vent to the steam and 

 give air to the plants. As the fruit becomes nearly ripe, lessen 

 the quantity of water given, barely keeping the 'plant from 

 flagging, and withhold water when the fruit begins to turn 

 colour." Nicol says, " water once in 4 or 5 days in the after~ 

 noon, watering over the foliage. Repeat the waterings oftener, 

 as the season and the growth of the plants and fruit advance, in 

 order to swell them out the better." Kalendar, p. 387. M'Phail 

 says, " If the weather is warm and dry, the melons will pro- 

 bably sometimes require water twice a week ; if the weather 

 is wet and cloudy, they will not require it so often," Gard. 

 C 



